Cartons or containers are used in many industries for the packaging and shipping of products. Cartons are typically stacked on pallets or palletized so that they can be easily transported in groups in warehouses, into and out of semi-truck trailers, etc. Typically, more than one carton is placed on each pallet and the cartons are stacked in layers one on top of the other. The height of the stacked cartons on each pallet depends upon the size of each carton, the contents of each carton, and special shipping requirements.
Besides stacking one carton on top of another on each pallet, pallets are often stacked on top of one another. When stacking a first pallet of palletized cartons on top of another, load failure often occurs when a carton is dislodged or collapses on the lower pallet. Furthermore, during shipping, vibration and load shifting can easily cause a carton to dislodge or collapse and cause other palletized cartons above it to fall. In both situations, the contents of the cartons are often damaged or destroyed.
There are inherent weaknesses with known carton stacking systems. While the bottom layer of cartons all rest on the pallet and thus are held together on this commonly shared surface, the top layer of cartons is not interconnected. Each stack of cartons often resembles a stack of blocks that can easily topple or fall if not secured.
If a second pallet is stacked on top of the first palletized group of cartons, there is no edge protection for the top layer of cartons upon which the second pallet is placed. If the second pallet should contact the edges of the top layer of cartons during stacking with a sufficient force, the carton edges and sides are typically damaged. Because most cartons rely on their edges and sides for a majority of their structural strength, once damaged the cartons may be incapable of supporting one or more palletized loads.
Further, many devices designed to provide edge protection for palletized groups of cartons or other work pieces are fastened together with fasteners like rivets, which have the star burst side of the rivet or fastening device directed toward the product that is to be protected. This can sometimes cause the product to be marred or adversely affected by the pallet protector itself since these fasteners are usually made of a sturdy material like metal or plastic which can then catch on the material that is being protected; e.g., paper goods.
When the ends of a protective cover like the one disclosed herein are fastened together the members of the protective cover are usually symmetrical, i.e., identical in shape, such that when positioned to protect the edge of the top layer of work pieces or cartons on a pallet a gap is presented at at least two corners on a pallet having a substantially square or rectangular shape. Reducing the size of this gap would increase the protection for the palletized products.
Additionally, the protective members disclosed herein are usually designed with a crease wherein the protective members may be bent at the crease so that they are capable of protecting at least two sides of the upper edge of the top layer of cartons or other palletized material. Prior art devices have always had a crease such that the point of the crease is spatially oriented in a direction away from the palletized material. This type of crease structure has a tendency to crack or split over time. Accordingly it is an objective of the present invention to provide a protective cover for palletized material wherein the crease is less likely to crack or split when in use.
The inventors know of no other prior art which either teaches or shows the present invention.